Clock.



PATENTED OCT. 24, 1905. H. BURMEISTER.

CLOCK.

APPLICATION H ED JUNE 21.1902.

I 2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

WITNESSES.- i 4 PATENTED 001*. 24, 1905.

H. BURMEISTBR.

CLOCK.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE.21.1902.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

[NVENTOR Attorney WITNESSES UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CLOCK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 24, 1905.

Application filed June 21, 1902. Serial No. 112,573.

- To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY BURMEISTER, a citizen of the United States, residing at 334: Fifth avenue, in the city of New York, in the county and State of New York, (and whose post-oflice address is the same,) have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Clocks; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to clocks, and in particular to that class of display-clocks which have no apparent actuating mechanism and which are designed to puzzle the observer, and thereby attract his attention. It is to be observed, however, that my invention is in part applicable also to clocks and timepieces of other descriptions. In the display-clocks of this description heretofore generally employed, and which combined a pair of hands with a transparent or translucent dial in front of which they moved, the works were placed behind the transparent dial, and although small in proportion to the size of the dial they were still noticeable to the close observer. Moreover, the movements heretofore used were as a general thing complicated and required a special reorganization of trains of clock-gearing as hitherto employed, whereby these clocks were rendered comparatively expensive.

It is the object of the present invention to place the works in such a position with relation to the dial and the hands that they will not be noticeable on comparatively close scrutiny, and, moreover, to enable ordinary and cheap watch or clock works or movements to be employed and adapted to display-clocks with a very small change in addition of parts for this purpose.

It is also the object of this invention to provide means whereby the works of the displayclock may be wound from the rear of the dial and from the central point thereof without shifting the timepiece-movement from a central position with respect to said dial.

A further object of my invention is to pro" vide means wherebyythetimepiece-movement, with its accessory parts as 'a- Whole, may be readily clamped to and removed from the dial.

With the above and other objects in view my invention consists in a clock-dial having secured in front of same a timepiece-movement with hands preferably mounted in front of the same.

It also consists in a combined clamping and winding device preferably adapted to be removably clamped to the dial and in which the winding-stem of the winding device passes through the clamping device, so that the clock can be readily wound from behind the dial. The way in which I prefer to obtain this arrangement is by forming the clamping device of a hollow stem or sleeve adapted to pass centrally through the dial and having mounted thereon suitable clampjaws-such as, e. g., a fixed disk and clamp-nut threaded on the sleeve. This enables me to pass the Windingstem through the sleeve, whereby a very compact simple combined arrangement of the two devices is formed.

The winding device consists, preferably, of a toothed wheel or pinion mounted on the winding-stem and meshing with a windingwheel fixed on the mainspring-barrel arbor. The whole is preferably inclosed in a casing adapted to slip over the timepiece-movement casing. The winding-stem is provided with a removable winding-knob at its rear end. By this arrangement I form a combination time-movement, winding, and clamping device, which may be readily removed from or assembled and secured to the dial. When removed from the dial, it forms a compact article of manufacture which may be readily shipped, stored, or applied to dials of various descriptions.

My invention also consists in such other features and combinations of parts as will be hereinafter set forth, and pointed out in the claims appended to its description.

In the accompanying drawings I have represented what I consider the preferable embodiment of my invention.

In the drawings, Figure 1 represents a front elevation of a display-clock embodying my invention; Fig. 2, a vertical central section of the same on line 2 2; Fig. 3, a similar section of a detached portion of the clock, pre senting the hands and the timepiece-movement; Fig. 4, a perspective view of the combined timepiecemovement, winding and clamping device removed from the dial; Fig. 5, a rear elevation of the windingdevice, showinga portion of the timepiece-movement, said view being taken on line. 5 5 of Fig. 2, a portion of the housing of the timepiece -movement being represented as broken away. Figs. 6, 7, and 8 represent detail views in perspective.

Referring to the drawings, it will be noted that the display-clock embodying my invention consists of a dial A, which may be transparent or translucent; a timepiece-movement B, connected with winding mechanism 0, arranged centrally in front of said dial and secured thereto by the clamping device D, the hollow sleeve or stem d of which passes through a central hole a in the dial. In front of the timepiecemovement B are mounted the hour and minute hands E and F, the portion 6 of the hour-hand which comes opposite to the timepiecemovement B being preferably of such size and shape as to completely cover the said timepiece-movement or the greater portion of same.

The timepiece -movement 13 may be any ordinary watch-works, such as a 'Waltham movement. This watch-movement is modified to the extent of replacing the ordinary watching device which it carries, is clamped to the dial A or loosened, according to the direction in which the clamp-nut (Z is turned.

In order to prevent any rotation of the timepiece-movement B with respect to the dial, the disk or shoulder cl is provided with one or more studs or steady-pins (Z which engage with corresponding perforations or sockets in the said dial when the clamp D is tight ened.

The hour and minute hands E and F are secured to the timepiece-movement in any suitable or convenient manner well known to those skilled in this art, the principal point being that the enlarged portion of the hands is of such nature or size as to divert notice from the said movement. One way of securing these hands is shown in the accompanying drawings. The hands are riveted to steel fittings e and f Figs. 2, 3, 7, and 8. As shown, the fitting 0 consists of a disk 1, to which the hour-hand is secured, as shown in Fig. 3, and which is provided with a split friction-tube 2, adapted to engage the arbor dial by a thin sheet-metal disk 6, which is of the hour wheel or pinion, while the fitting screwed to the watch-plate, and thus prevents f represents a similar disk to be secured to the entry of dust to the works. This watchmovement is connected with the winding movement C as follows: A toothed wheel 6, which 1 term the winding-wheel, is keyed or otherwise secured to the mainspringbarrel arbor 5 and this winding-wheel b meshes with the pinion 0 of the winding device, which pinion is keyed or otherwise fixed to the windingstem 0, passing through the hollow sleeve d, as shown, and being provided at its end at the rear of the dial with a winding-knob c removably secured to the winding-stem by any suitable means, such as a set-screw 0 The relation of the winding device to the clock-movement is best seen in Figs. 2, 3, and 5. The forward portion of the winding device is preferably inclosed within a casing G, which may be made to slip over the watchmovement, as indicated in Fig. 2. This casing is best shown in Figs. 2 and 6, from which figures it will be seen that the casing may be readily slipped on and off from the watch-movement, carrying the hands E and F, as shown in Fig. 3, without any derangement of the parts and without requiring any subsequent adjustment to make the parts operative when put together.

The timepiece-movement and winding device are preferably clamped to the dial in the manner best shown in Figs. 2 and 4, from which figures it will be seen that the clamping device D consists of the hollow stem or sleeve (Z, passing centrally through the clockdial A, upon which sleeve d is fixed a shoulder or disk cl, the said disk being provided with a screw-thread d and a nut 6Z3, engaging the said screw-thread by turning the said nut (Z in one or the other direction. The sleeve (Z, with the watch-movement and windthe minute-hand and having a square hole to slide over the squared portion of the cannonpinion of the watch-movement in a manner well understood by those skilled in this art.

In order to make the clock available at night-time, 1 make the hands E F and the figures H on the dial of bright metal, such as aluminium, and also employ an opaque, dark backing-disk 1, Fig. 2, which may be of any suitable or convenient material, such as pasteboard, sheet metal, or wood. This backingdisk I- is adapted to be removably arranged at the back of the dial A in the following manner: 1 provide the said disk with a hole 5 of such size as to pass the clamp-nut (Z when the same is being put in place or removed from the back of the dial. The holez'is preferably somewhat eccentric, so that when it has passed the nut 61 and sinks down into the recess or mortise d of said nut, as shown, the said disk will be concentric with the dial.

The operations of the devices described are clear from the foregoing. By turning the winding-knob the pinion c on the stem 0, passing through the sleeve (4, is revolved and through it the winding-wheel b and the mainspring.

By releasing the set-screw c and removing the winding-knob 0 from the stem 0 the combined timepiece-movement and clamping device may be removed from the dial by unscrewing the nut d". The parts may then be assembled without the dial and hands, in which form e combined movement, winding I and cla: ng device may be separately stored or shipped.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is as follows:

1. In a clock, a stationary dial, in combination with a casing containing a time-movement, a clamping device for securing the movement to the dial, and a winding device having a winding-shaft passing through the clam ing device.

2. n a clock, a stationary dial and a casing containing a time-movement, in combination with a clam ing device for securing the casing to the dia' and having a sleeve passing through said dial, and a winding device connected with the movement and having a winding-shaft passing through the sleeve of the clamping device.

3. A combined clamping and winding device for a timepiece-movement, which consists of asleeve having clamping-j aws mounted thereon in combination with a windingstem passing through the sleeve and provided with a winding-pinion.

4. A combined clamping and winding device for a timepiece-movement which consists of asleeve having clamping-j aws mounted thereon in combination with a windingstem passing through the sleeve and provided with a winding-pinion and a winding-knob.

5. A combined clamp and winding device for clocks of the character described, which consists in a sleeve provided with a fixed clamp-disk and a clamp-nut threaded there on, in combination with a winding-stem passing through the sleeve and provided with a winding-pinion at one end.

6. A combined clamp and windin device for clocks 0f the character describe which consists in a sleeve provided with a fixed clamp-disk and a clamp-nut threaded thereon, in combination with a winding-stem passing through the sleeve and provided with a winding-pinion at one end and a removable winding-knob at the other end.

7. The combination, with a dial having a central hole and perforations or sockets near its center, of a clamping device for a timepiece-movement consisting of a sleeve, a disk or shoulder provided with studs or steadypins to en age the sockets in the dial and a movable oTamp-j aw on the sleeve for clamping the dial against the disk or shoulder.

8. The combination of a timepiece-movement inclosed in a casing with a winding device adapted to engage the timepiecemovement and a casing inclosing the winding device and adapted to slip over the easing of the timepiece-movement.

9. The combination, with a transparent or translucent dial and a time-movement provided with hands mounted thereon, of an opaque backing-disk removably attached at the back of said dial.

10. The combination with a transparent or translucent dial, bright-surfaced figures, and a time-movement provided with hands of bright material mounted thereon, of an opaque backing-disk removably mounted at the back of said dial.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HENRY BURMEISTER.

Witnesses:

MAX TELLEGRINI, CHARLES HECKER. 

